Improvement in uteeine supporters



S.. P. COLE, OF JANESVILL, WISCONSIN.

LettlersPatent No. 78,431, dated June 2, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN UTERINE VISITE-POWERS.

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TO ALL WHOM'IT MAY COIICERN: l

Be it known that I, S. I?. COLE, of Janesville, iin the county ofRo'clc,-aud"State oi'Wisconsiu, have invented a new and improved UterineSupporter; and Ido hereby declare that the "followinggis a full, clear,and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled iu theart to'mako and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification.

` Figure 1 is a perspective view of the supporter. v

Figure 2 exhibits a horizontal section of the same through the line Z1b, iig. 3. Figure 3 exhibits a vertical section of the supporter throughthe line a', fig. 1;.' Similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts. p The nature of this improvement `consists in theattachment of a soft rubber eush'i'on to a cup, and the elliptical formof the cushion and cup, hereinafter more explicitly described.

In figs. 1 and 3, A is the cushion, the cup, and C the silver wiresupporting the whole.

The cup B is elliptical, asshown by its section in iig. 2. It has aflange or lipftifor securing the cushion A, which is comprised of aririg, R, and A'a head oi' diaphragm, d, forming part of the`ring, andattached ns shown in figs. 1' and 2. This diaphragm is a thin sheet ofsoft rubber, and cti-the same quality as the ring'of which it forms apart. v

The cup B is hard rubber, or.other equivalent material, and hasperforations 7i L h, for the escape of fluids. Attached to its vrtex isa silver wire, C, which is connected with the exterior devices, devicesfor maintaining the sume in proper ppgitun)V This cup is surmountedwitha soft rubber'rin'g, Rwhich is elliptical, its lateral diameter beingthe greatest, ThisA `ring is madewith a slight groove, m, aroundits-iuterior surface, for the purpose oi clasping irmly over lip Zot the`cup B, thus uniting the cup and ringsecurely by the contractile forceof the soft rubber. j A

Attached to and forming a part of the ring is a, lthin diaphragm, of.soft rubber, perforated for the escape of fluids, as shown at I11. n n,fig.Y 1, the perforations being fy elly requisite' llllmher- Thediaphragm d may be separate, and drawn'over the outside et' the ring- R;thence under) and clasped by the ring against the lip l, or it may forme. continuous part of the ring. p. K i

The soft rubber ring and its diaphragm form a yielding cushion forlpPOltnl-S the uterusand Whe. the cup B is in position, the necli'of theuterus rests on the ring and its diaphragm, and the greater yieldingnature of the latter causes it to accommodate the downward pressureofthe uterus in n, greater degree than the ring to which it attached, thusforming a concave cushion, of an elliptical perimeter, peculiarlyadapted to thev form of the uterus, for the same is, after impregnation,of an elliptical form, that is,tholatl1ldimtel` S lgreater than thevertical diameter. l p V i lheringand its diaphragm, which latter shouldbo of the thinnest quality, forms a shallow ellip'tlti'1 CUP* shapedcushion, capable of being made deeperby the pressure upon it, andprotects the irritable or dised'd organ from the pernicious irritationot"tl1o hard rubber cup, thus differing essentially and advantageouslyfromA those supporters heretofore' known or scd, as will be more fullyset forth. .y 'i l l Those uterine supporters upon which mine is animprovement are Dake and Hockerts, February 16, 1864, (No. 41,607,) D.Dodges, May 14, 1867, (No. 64,644 and Thompsons, and are liable to thefollowing serious objections: r)

Duke and Hockerts supporter is a hard rubbercup, with no yieldingdevices whatever, thus rendering it I irritating to the organ. Its wantof elasticity occasions a shock to the uterus, byanyiuad verteilt `joltor sudden step of the patient. Its circular form is not adapted to thatof the uterus, yfor the reason before explained.

Dodges supporter, being a circular cup, containing a sponge, isanswerable to the sameobjections as the above, the rim of the cuppresenting an irritating surface, while the sponge retaining a portionof the secretions from the' organ, forms an additional objection. f l AThompsons supporter is provided with a hard rubber ring, not supportedeentrallygvas .the others,' but at the edge and thev rim impinging uponthe ports, causes irritation. This ring, besides possessing theobjections due to its hardness, often permits the lower portion ofthevuterus to descend through it, and bong congested, and nlmost'in u.strangi'ilated\condition,,so far as its circulation isconcerned. y

My improved supporter being free from all of these important objections,is thus an instrument,nioreper-4 fectly adopted to the oice demanded ofuterine supporters.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Y The uterinesupporter, formed by theeombnation of the soft rubber cushion A, ofelliptical form, tl1e cup B5 soft rubber ring R, and soft rubberdiaphragnrd; substantially as herein shown und described, for thepurpose specified.

S. P. COLE.

Witnesses:

S. G.ABA1LEY, S. Foonn, Jr.

